Give Me A Chance
by funhog316
Summary: Maura and Frankie decide to change their relationship from friends to something more. Will they make it or will the pressure of their jobs and family come between them?
1. Chapter 1

It was a brisk autumn day in Boston, Massachusetts. The sun was slowly climbing it's way further into the sky. Birds were singing and people were out walking their dogs, driving their kids to school, or making their way to work. It was cool enough to see your breath but warm enough not to have to wear a big jacket and scarves. It was the kind of day that made Maura Isles glad to be alive. She woke up early (as usual), fed Bass, did her morning yoga, and ate her yogurt and berries before heading out to work. Because her apartment was close enough to the Boston Police Department she decided to walk to work. She happily made her way down the street to her favorite coffee shop first. As soon as she stepped in, she felt the warmth surrounding her. She made her way over to the counter to make her order. "Hi Henry! The usual please" she said. As she waited for her coffee, she flipped through a nearby magazine filled with people she had never heard of like Jennifer Aniston and Lindsey Lohan. She never understood the purpose of publishing someone's drug dependency or recent divorce. "Maura! coffee's up!" she heard Henry call to her. She dug through her purse to find her wallet when a very familiar arm reached over her with a debit card. "Here, I got it" Maura turned to see Frankie Rizzoli standing behind her with his charming smile. "Oh no, Frankie. It's OK. I can get it".

"I know you can. But I want to get it". He handed his card to Henry. "Thank you, Frankie. I'll pay you back." Maura replied with a smile. "Absolutely not. I won't take it. Besides it's an honor to be able to say I bought the beautiful doctor coffee." he replied with a grin. Maura blushed and turned away shyly "You think I'm beautiful?" "Yeah I do. A lot of the guys at the Boston PD do actually."

"Ohhh..." Maura replied with a slight frown, not really caring what the other guys thought of her. She only cared what Frankie thought. Because first of all, he was her friend and her best friend's brother and even though Maura would never admit it to anyone, she had a huge crush on him. But she never imagined he would ever give her a second glance. She wasn't his "type".

"So are you heading over to work? Can I walk with you?" Frankie asked shyly. "Of course you can. I would be happy for some company" she replied with a smile. Frankie placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the coffee shop. They both shivered as the brisk air hit them. Frankie offered Maura his arm and together they walked to work.

As they strolled arm in arm, Frankie couldn't help but feeling proud and cocky. It wasn't everyday he had a sexy, smart woman on his arm. They passed a group of men gathered at a hot dog stand leering at Maura. Maura saw this and instinctively moved closer to Frankie. Frankie noticed this and tightened his grip on her arm as to assure her that she was safe with him. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her. They passed the men without any problems. 'Yeah, that's right. She's with me!' Frankie thought possessively. Maura and Frankie arrived at the Boston PD. Before entering the building however, Frankie gently pulled Maura closer to him. "Listen, Maura. I know we don't really hang out that much. You know with our jobs we're both really busy and all..." Maura could tell Frankie was nervous about something so she patiently waited for him to continue. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that... I want to get to know you better and so... I was wondering if you wanted to go... go out with me...?" Frankie stammered blushing furiously now. Maura thought for sure she was hearing things. Frankie wanted to get to know her better and he wanted to take her out? On a date? ...Why?

"Why Frankie...?" she whispered. She cleared her throat and began again. "Why would you want to go out on a date with me? I'm socially inept, weird and... Queen of the Dead" she mumbled the last part. "Wait, what? Who called you that? And yes, so you're a little socially awkward, but who cares? I sure as heck don't. Please Maura! Just give us a chance... one chance. That's all I ask". Frankie pleaded with her. Maura gazed at Frankie trying to decide his sincerity. "What if Jane doesn't like it? I mean you're her brother and I'm her friend...? Wouldn't that be weird?" Maura argued trying to be reasonable and rational. "Who cares what Jane thinks. Please go out with me. Just once...?" Frankie pleaded. Maura looked up into Frankie's deep brown eyes and immediately melted. "OK, Frankie. I'll go out with you. But you are NOT allowed to distract me while I'm working!" she said with a saucy smile. Frankie grinned and wrapped his arms around Maura. "Don't worry, you won't regret this. I promise." he whispered in her ear.


	2. Chapter 2

All throughout the rest of the day, Maura couldn't get her mind off Frankie Rizzoli. It was crazy. This had never happened to her. Maura had always prided herself on being dedicated and focused on her work. But today was different. It seemed like every five minutes she was thinking about the way his muscular arms wrapped around her waist or the way his voice sent shivers down her back as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. Maura couldn't believe it had even happened. Frankie was extremely good looking, not to mention smart and brave. He could have any girl he wanted. And he chose her. 'This is absolutely irrational. I've never acted this way with any guy before. Why is Frankie different?' she thought to herself. But she knew the answer. Frankie was not only the man she spent a great deal of the day thinking about, but he was also her best friend's brother and her friend. But Frankie is different than any guy she had ever dated. He is a good man who would never hurt her intentionally. He's smart and brave. When he had subconsciously protected her from those men this morning, Maura felt a sense of safety and completeness that she had never truly felt before. He would keep her safe. And he knows her: he knows how awkwardly goofy and what a know-it-all she can be, but he still wants to get to know her and date her... "Oh boy, I need to take a quick walk and get my thoughts straight." she said to herself.

The rest of the day, Frankie's head was in the clouds. Maura had said yes! The sweet, beautiful, smart, woman said she would go out on a date with him. He had waited for this for so long. Ever since her first met her, he had his eye on her. But she was a doctor and came from a life of wealth. He was just a Boston cop who didn't have a lot of money. He never thought he had a chance. She was way out of his league... but she said yes. She would give them a chance and hopefully, if Frankie played his cards right, she might go out with him again. 'Whoa... slow down there, Frankie. Let's start with this date before we plan for more.' Frankie thought to himself. But in the back of his mind, he knew she was everything he wanted. She was smart, caring, sweet, and definitely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She always looked like she just walked off the catwalk. The way she smiled made his heart do back flips and her laugh always warmed his heart as well as her awkwardness which was adorably cute... "Wow, OK I need to step out for a minute." he said to himself.

Maura grabbed her jacket and headed out to take a quick walk through the little park down the street. As soon as she stepped out of the double doors, she walked head first into Frankie. "Oomph!" he grunted and turned quickly only to find Maura staring at him with her big hazel eyes. "Frankie! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. Are you ok?" she rushed. "Maura, calm down. It's ok; you just startled me is all. What are you doing out here?" he asked. "Oh, I was actually just stepping out to get some fresh air. There's a park down the street. I was going to take a walk. What are you doing out here?" "Oh, pretty much the same thing." he said. "Well, would you like to join me?" Maura asked shyly. "I could use the company." she smiled at him. "Sure." Together they walked to the park. "It's so beautiful this time of the year in the park with the leaves changing colors and all" Maura said gazing up at the huge trees in wonder. "Yeah, they are... definitely beautiful..." Frankie said looking at Maura adoringly. Maura looked over at him and blushed when she realized he wasn't talking about the trees. She took a deep breath and slowly took his big strong hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. "Frankie, can I talk to you about something?" she said hesitantly. "Of course you can. What's up?" he said.

"I'm not good at keeping relationships. I tend to scare guys away with what I do for a living and whenever I go out on a date with a guy I have this unfortunate habit of telling them all their medical problems and then they think I'm a freak and leave." Maura looked down ashamed of this part of her. Frankie stopped walking and turned Maura so she was facing him. He pulled her closer to him and put one finger under her chin and gently tilted her head up to look at him. He saw all the pain and embarrassment in her eyes and he vowed she would never have that look in her eyes again. Not if he could help it. "My sweet Maura" he whispered lovingly. "I know that. I know what you do for a living and how you tell people all their medical problems and it's OK. It's ok because that's your job and that's your way of connecting to people. That doesn't make you a "freak". You are so smart and beautiful and if all those other guys left because they couldn't handle your smarts, then they don't deserve you. I will never leave you. I'll be here for as long as you want me." He wrapped her up in his strong arms and she buried her face in his chest. He softly rubbed circles on her back. After a moment, she pulled her head back slightly to look up into his eyes and almost cried at the love and gentleness she saw there. "I know, Frankie. I know you wouldn't ever hurt me. I just needed you to understand that part of me."

"I'm glad you trusted me enough to share that with me. And if it makes you feel better we can sit down and you can tell me all of my medical issues. I'll listen but I can't guarantee I'll understand half of what you tell me." he joked. "But I won't leave." he promised. Maura laughed and replied, "that might actually help me..." Frankie laughed along with her and gazed into her eyes. Slowly he brought his lips down to hers, but stopped a millimeter away. "Tell me this is what you want. If you don't want me to kiss you, tell me now." he whispered. As a response, Maura stepped up on her tip toes and softly pressed her lips against his. At once Frankie felt this overwhelming rush of love and warmth and everything behind his closed eyelids went white. Maura was not prepared for such a reaction either. Her knees buckled at the rush she felt. Frankie's strong arms were there to support her and she leaned into his chest. His tongue gently traced her lower lip begging for entrance which she gave. Their tongues softly danced together as they clutched each other oblivious to the rest of the world. When air became necessary, they slowly pulled apart to catch their breath. Frankie leaned his forehead against hers and waited for her to catch her breath. "That was... wow..." Maura sighed. She looked up to see Frankie gazing down at her with so much love and tenderness. "I've never felt that before. It was... indescribable..." he said softly. Their moment was interrupted by the shrill ring of Maura's phone. Seeing that Maura was making no move to answer it, Frankie chuckled and said, " You need to answer it. It might be Jane with a new case." "I don't want to answer it. I don't want to leave..." But knowing Frankie was right, she pulled back to rummage through her purse to dig out her phone. "You're right; it's Jane."

"Hey Jane, what's up? … Wait, what? How? No, nevermind. OK I'm on my way. Fill me in when I get there. I'll be there as soon as possible!" Maura hung up. "What's wrong? Is Jane alright? " Frankie asked. Maura looked up at him with fear in her eyes. "Hoyt escaped."


	3. Chapter 3

Maura and Frankie rushed back to the Police Department. Frankie was slightly disappointed that his moment with Maura was interrupted but he knew his focus needed to be with his sister right now. They were surprised to see the building closed off. Frankie placed his hand on the small of Maura's back and gently led her up the stairs. "Frankie Rizzoli, Boston PD and Dr. Isles, Medical Examiner. We work here" Frankie said to the guard showing him his badge. They made their way up to Jane's office. They stepped in to see Jane, Korsak, Frost and Agent Dean along with some other detectives and cops gathered around the TV watching a SWAT team enter an abandoned building. Maura recognized it as the building Hoyt held Emily Stern in. "Dr. Isles! Frankie!" Frost motioned for them to join them. "What do you know so far?" Frankie asked.

"Well, so far he's been gone about 2 hours. The prison guard noticed his mouth was bleeding earlier this morning. So he went in to make sure he was alright. Seems like Hoyt had purposely chewed on the metal bed frame to make his mouth bleed in an attempt to get the guard to come in. Once he was in, Hoyt killed him and ran for it. There aren't many guards in the part of the prison Hoyt is kept in. Guess they thought the concrete doors and alarms were enough. However, when the guard went in he had to disable the alarms. So when Hoyt exited the building, no alarms went off. The FBI sent a SWAT team to the place where Emily Stern was kept just in case he decided to go back to that place." Korsak answered. "He's not going to be there. Hoyt's too smart for that." Jane added. Jane turned and kicked the table legs of her desk. "He's not going to get you Jane." Agent Dean reassured her. "Absolutely! If he comes anywhere near here..." Korsak growled. "We need to find him! Do we have any leads? Where are we going to look next?" Frost exclaimed. "That's just it. We have basically nothing. Right now, Hoyt has the upper hand. We have to wait for him to make the first move." Agent Dean replied. Korsak closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. "Agent Dean is right. We don't have any leads or clues or anything. Right now we have to wait. Jane, I don't think it's safe for you to stay at your apartment. If Emily Stern knew where you lived you can bet she told Hoyt." "She can stay with me." Frankie said. "OK, but we're assigning extra security." Frost said.

Maura's phone rang and she excused herself to answer it. "Dr. Isles?" she waited for someone to answer but all she heard was silence. "Hello?" She heard a deep sigh. "Dr. Isles..." Maura's eyes filled with terror as Hoyt's voice filled her ear. She waved at everyone frantically to be quiet and she turned her phone to speaker phone. "I'm sure you've heard by now that I've escaped." Everyone gathered around Maura's phone to hear better. Frost went to the computer to start a Trace and Trap on the phone Hoyt was using. He motioned for her to keep him talking as long as he could. "Why are you calling me Hoyt? Isn't Jane your target?" Maura asked him. The sound of Hoyt's dry, humorless laughter sounded through the phone. "True, so very true Dr. Isles. I still want very much to kill Jane. And I will. Don't worry. But I have another target this time..." he said. "Who, Hoyt? Who's your other target" she whispered. "You." he replied confidently. Maura's blood ran cold. She looked up at Frankie in fear. His jaw tightened and he instinctively moved closer and laid a hand on her lower back in reassurance. Frost motioned for her to keep him talking. "Why am I one of your targets, Hoyt?" she asked trying to disguise the fear in her voice. "You mesmerize me, Dr. Isles. I was very intrigued that you weren't frightened of me the last time we met. Do you remember that?" "Of course I remember. You used Emily Stern and endangered my friend's lives and tried to capture my best friend." she replied. "Oh yes yes. It was enjoyable reading about it in the newspaper. Oh look, my coffee's here. I have to go now Dr. Isles." and then he hung up. Still in shock, Maura stood there staring at her phone. "Dammit! I didn't get him. He was using a disposable phone that was programmed to switch locations of the cell towers that it was bouncing of. I couldn't trap him at one long enough to get a location." Frost said. "Well, we know that Maura is also a target and he's at a coffee shop. Frost, get a list of all places that would sell coffee around the cell towers that his phone bounced off of. Agent Dean, send cops and agents to every location and have them question the employees working there. Bring a picture of Hoyt; see if any of them saw him." Korsak said. Maura noticed that Frankie's fists were clenched by his side. She reached over and softly stroked his wrists. Frankie looked over at her and unclenched his fists and grabbed her hand in his. Jane noticed this but said nothing. "Maura and Jane are staying at my place tonight." Frankie said. "OK sound good." Korsak replied. "I'll make sure to heighten security at your place." Agent Dean said. Maura turned and grabbed her phone. "I'll be right back. I have to grab some things from my lab." she headed out the door. "I'll go with her. She shouldn't be alone right now." Frankie said. "Of course not." Jane said with a smirk.

"Maura! Wait up!" Frankie called. Maura turned to see Frankie running after her. "Hey... are you alright?" he asked. "I'm scared Frankie. Hoyt has managed to escape twice from prison and has had murders committed for him from behind bars. He not just an average criminal. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. What if... if..." she couldn't even finish the sentence without tears spilling down her cheeks. "Hey... don't cry..." Frankie said softly. He pulled her tightly against him and tucked her head under his chin. "I won't let him hurt you." he whispered. Maura tilted her head up and gazed at him through her tears. Frankie leaned over and gently kissed her tears away. "Please don't cry." he murmured. "I'll keep you safe. We'll go back to my place with Jane and there will be cops and FBI securing the building. That son of a bitch will never get to you. And if he does, I'll kill him myself." Maura leaned into his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. "I know we haven't even gone out yet but... I think... I... might be falling in love with you." Maura whispered. Frankie grinned and kissed the top of her head, "That's OK: I'm already head over heels for you." Maura looked up and brought his lips down to meet hers in a passionate kiss.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **

**Thanks so much for the reviews! This is my first fic and the reviews definitely inspire me! Thanks for the support and I hope you continue to enjoy my stories. If you have any suggestions for the story please let me know!**

After making a stop at Maura's apartment so she can get some clothes and Bass to bring to Frankie's and stopping at Jane's place for her stuff, the trio finally made it to Frankie's apartment. The security officer in charge introduced himself to them and ran them through the security measures Agent Dean had set up. By the time they made it upstairs, they were all tired and ready for dinner, cold beer, shower and bed. Frankie let the two women in and the three of them collapsed on the couch. Maura took a moment to take in her surroundings and was pleasantly surprised. It was a spacious apartment with nice furniture and it was very nice and tidy. Not at all what she imagined a single man's apartment would look like.

"Ugh..." Jane groaned and rubbed her neck. "I'm so exhausted..." "Me too" Maura sighed. "You guys want to watch a movie or something?" Frankie asked. "Sure, what do you have?" "The movies are in there" Frankie said pointing to a tall cabinet. "You guys pick something out. I'll grab us some beers and microwavable dinners. Maura, you drink beer right?" he asked. "Yes, I do actually! Jane introduced me to beer." she said with a smile. Jane laughed at the memory. "Yeah, I had to basically bribe you just to take a sip!" she said. Frankie chuckled and went into the kitchen. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jane turned to Maura and excitedly said, "OK, spill. I want all the details." Maura looked at her friend with a confused look on her face. "What are you talking about?" although she had a feeling she knew exactly what Jane was talking about. "You and Frankie! Why didn't you guys tell me? How long have you guys been going out? Hurry up, Maura! Start talking! I want to know!" she said with a smile. Maura laughed at Jane's excitement. "It hasn't actually been that long...it kinda just started this morning..." "No way! I saw the way he was looking at you and you were looking at him and when he put his hand on your back and you stroked his wrists to reassure him and when he made up a lame excuse to go with you to your lab because you 'couldn't be alone'... all those add up to way more than just this morning." Jane said all in one breath. "Wow... you noticed all that? You are very observant." Maura said. "Well that is kinda what I do for a living." Jane retorted making Maura laugh. "Well, I've had a crush on Frankie for a long time now, I just never told him. And then this morning, he was at my usual coffee shop and he insisted he pay for my coffee and we ended up walking together to work and... I don't know, everything just lined up so magically and he asked me out and I said yes. And then at around noon, I couldn't concentrate so I decided to go for a walk and he was outside so I invited him to go along and he did and we held hands and kissed." she said. "And he even gave me permission to tell him all of his medical conditions and he won't leave me." she said softly. "Awww... that's cute. I'm happy for you guys, but no smoochy-smoochy crap around me, OK? I really don't need to see my baby brother with his tongue down my best friend's throat." Jane said leaning over to give her friend a hug. Maura laughed and reassured her they would keep the "smoochy-smoochy" to a minimum around her.

Just then Frankie re-entered the room balancing 3 plates of chicken nuggets and green beans and 3 beers on a tray. "OK what movie did you guys pick out?" he said as he placed the tray on the coffee table in front of them. "Oh, we haven't picked one out yet. We were talking." Jane said as she jumped up and pulled Maura over to the cabinet full of movies. Frankie rolled his eyes. Maura smiled as she noticed the majority of his movies were those action, fast car, shoot em' up guy movies. They decided on the movie Taken. "I've never heard of it." Maura said "but it looks interesting." "It is. You'll like it." Frankie said. As they started the movie up, Maura took a seat next to Frankie on the couch and Jane sat in the big plush armchair. They sat in silence watching the movie, eating dinner, drinking a beer and trying to forget about the serial killer that was after them. About half way through, Jane stood up. "OK, I'm gonna go take a shower and head to bed. Frankie, am I in the guest room?" "Yeah, go ahead." He turned towards Maura. "You alright?" "Yeah, I'm getting kinda tired too, but I want to take a shower, so I'll wait for Jane to finish." "You could take a shower in my bathroom." he said "here let me get you a clean towel." he got up and went to a cabinet in the hallway. He pulled out a big fluffy navy blue towel and handed it to her. "My room's over here." He showed her how to work the hot and cold water and went back to the living room.

He heard the shower start and immediately images of Maura naked in his shower filled his mind. He could imagine himself caressing her every curve as he washed her body and washing her hair and then taking her to his bed after wards to make love. Their wet bodies pressed together and the only sounds would be the panting and moaning – His thought were interrupted by Jane walking back into the living room towel drying her hair. "Hey, listen thanks for letting us stay here." she said. "It's no problem, I'd rather you both stay here where I know you're safe. And plus you guys can cook for me." he joked. Jane threw a pillow at Frankie's head and said, "Speaking of Maura, where is she?" "She's in the shower in my room." he replied. "Really..." Jane smirked. "Listen, I'm really happy for you guys but like I told Maura, no smoochy-smoochy crap in front of me, OK? But I also want you to know, you hurt my friend and I'll tell Ma about last summer..." she said sweetly. "You wouldn't... but don't worry, I would never hurt Maura. She means the world to me." Just then, Maura walked back into the living room wearing a white tank top and bright pink cotton pants. "OK people, I'm going to head to bed. Good night all!" Jane said giving each a hug.

Frankie sat down on the couch next to Maura and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap. He buried his face in her damp hair and inhaled deeply. Raspberries and citrus. A scent he always associated with her. "You're so beautiful." he whispered in her ear. Maura kissed him gently and ran her hands down his chest, feeling the muscles that lay hidden beneath. She slipped her hands up the front to feel the light dark hair on his chest. She lightly scraped her nails over his nipples. Frankie sucked in a breath and grabbed her hands pulling her hands out of his shirt. "We shouldn't." he breathed in her ear. "I want to do this right," he said. "I want to take you out on a date to a fancy restaurant and dance with you and watch the sunsets together and hold your hand while we watch movies." he said softly. "Ok, let's dance now and tomorrow we can watch the sunset and after that we can watch a movie and hold hands and as soon as this thing with Hoyt is done, we can go out on a date to a fancy restaurant." Maura said as she stood up to reached to help him stand up. Frankie burst out laughing and pulled her back down so that she was laying on his chest. "Patience sweetheart." he chuckled as he tucked her tighter into his chest. She traced slow circles on his chest as he rubbed the soft skin on her lower belly. "I suppose so... you're such a softie." she said. "You know all you cops pretend to be all hard and bad ass but you guys are incredibly sentimental." she giggled. "Hey! I thought women like that sort of thing." Frankie argued. "We do." Maura said simply. "You are so cute. But we need to get some rest honey." he whispered. After a moment with no response, he looked down to see Maura laying there pretending to sleep even though Frankie could tell she wasn't really asleep yet. Frankie smiled and pulled her in closer. And the two fell asleep.

**OK, I know there wasn't a lot of Hoyt/serious stuff here. But I want to also make this a cute kinda fluffy love story too. Next chapter will be more serious. Also, I'm sure you've noticed Maura is completely out of character. Reason for this: I'm not good medical terminology so she's gonna have to speak and think not like an over-rational Medical Examiner :) **


	5. Chapter 5

Jane woke up suddenly. Something, she didn't know what, but something had woken her up. She listened hard to detect if it was Frankie or Maura or Bass. She didn't hear anything but she knew something wasn't right. She looked over at the bedside clock which read 3:34 in bright green light. 'Great, 3:30 in the morning and I'm all of a sudden wide awake' she thought begrudgingly. Slowly she picked up her gun from the table and slipped out of bed. As her feet hit the cold floor, she was reminded of the last time Hoyt escaped and she had woken up in the middle of the night to investigate weird noises. She made her way into the living room. Looking around, she saw Frankie and Maura asleep on the couch in each others arms. She smiled and entered the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she made her way back through the living room, she paused to cover her brother and best friend with a blanket before slipping back in bed. She had just laid her head down when shots rang out on the street below. It wasn't just one shot. It sounded like ten guns going off at once. At once, she bolted out of bed, grabbed her gun and ran out to the living room. Frankie and Maura had awoken and Frankie was getting his gun. "What the hell was that?" Jane exclaimed. "I don't know but that's what we're going to find out." Frankie rushed as he slipped a coat on. Maura rushed to get her shoes. "No, Maura. You have to stay up here." Frankie said. "I want to help." Maura replied. "No, sweetheart. You need to stay here where you're safe. You aren't armed. Go into my room, lock the door and stay put until one of us come get you."

Jane and Frankie ran downstairs and rushed out the double doors into the cold night. In front of the apartment lay the two security guards. They were dead. Slowly, they moved further til they were standing on the sidewalk. The street was a chaotic mess of dead people and people screaming and car alarms going off. Off in the distance, they could hear sirens of law enforcement vehicles rapidly approaching. Frankie jumped as his cell phone went off. "Frankie! Are you there?" Korsak's voice boomed. "Yeah, we're here. What the hell just happened? We heard like a dozen shots go off all at the same time. Jane and I went down and every single cop and agent assigned to security is dead! Car alarms are going off and there are tons of people running around." "Shit!" Korsak cursed. "And Dr. Isles?" "She's up in my room with the door locked. I didn't want her to come down here because she isn't armed. The police just arrived." Frankie said. "OK, Frost and I are on our way!" Korsak hung up. "What the hell happened?" one of the cops that just arrived ran up to Jane and Frankie.

After telling, the cop what happened, they looked around to observe the scene. EMT's were working on getting the few that were injured into the ambulance's and the dead bodies were being examined by ME's. Crime investigators were trying to get people off the streets to secure the area. "How did he kill all these people at once..." Jane whispered. Frankie put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I don't know but we're going to catch him. He's not going to kill all these cops and agents and get away with it." "Jane!" Jane lifted her head to see Agent Dean running towards them. "Are you OK? Are you hurt?" he said as he searched her eyes frantically. "I'm fine. I'm not hurt." she reassured him. "I'm going to go get Maura." Frankie said. He turned and headed back up to his apartment. As he neared his apartment, he noticed the front door was open. Cautiously, he drew his gun and silently headed inside. Seeing nothing in the front living room, he headed to the kitchen where it also stood empty and undisturbed. He slowly made his way to the bedrooms, his heart beating wildly out of his chest. The guest room was empty which only left his room where Maura was. He stood outside the door and knocked softly, "Maura, sweetie. It's me Frankie. You can open the door." He waited for an answer but only receiving silence, he tried again a little harder. "Maura, open up! Can you hear me? It's me Frankie. It's safe now." Still getting no response, Frankie began to panic. He tried the door only to find it locked. He stepped back and kicked the door open. He rushed inside to find his room in a disheveled mess and the window open and no Maura. "Maura!" he yelled running to the window and looking out into the dark of the night. 'No, no, no!' he thought wildly. Looking around, he spotted a piece of paper on the floor. Picking it up, he sat down on the bed and read it:

"I warned you I would be back. No one believed me. Jane even told me I was going to rot in prison. How very wrong she was. I have your lovely Dr. Isles. From what I've seen, you seem to be madly in love with her, Frankie. But I had to do this. You see, you were the one to shoot Emily Stern. She was my link to Jane. Since you took someone that was important to me, its only fair I take someone important to you. But don't worry, I'll be gentle. -Hoyt"


	6. Chapter 6

** This chapter is sad... and I do apologize for that. I just couldn't figure out how to make a chapter with Hoyt in it seem romantic. So this one is sad, but no worries: the next will be happier! **

Maura slowly opened her eyes to find herself tied and bound with duck tape in a small dark room. She tried to move but found her head to be kinda fuzzy and any movement to be very lethargic. 'What the heck happened to me?' she thought. 'Where's my Frankie?' She remembered the gun shots and Frankie and Jane going down to find out what happened while she went to Frankie's room and hid in his bathroom silently waiting for him or Jane to come get her. She remembered Hoyt coming out of the closet and grabbing her roughly. Maura had tried to scream for Frankie but Hoyt had put a damp washcloth over her mouth and everything went black. 'And now I'm here...' she thought. 'But how did I get here and where's Hoyt?'

As if to answer her question, the small door opened and in walked Hoyt. He looked the same as he did last time she saw him except he was now wearing normal clothes instead of the orange prison jumpsuit. "Ah... Dr. Isles. You have woken up. So nice of you to join me." he said smoothly almost oily. Maura shuddered inwardly from his cold voice. He leaned over her and pulled the tape off her mouth and sat her up against the wall. "You're never going to get away with this, Hoyt." she said calmly and confidently even though inside she was terrified. Hoyt threw back his head and gave a cold laugh. "Actually, I'm thinking I might get away with it. They'll never find us here." "Where are we, Hoyt?" Maura asked as she looked around again. "We're under the city of Boston. Did you know Boston has many underground tunnels? We're right in the heart of the city. Under Heart Break Hill, I believe it's called. The last place the Boston PD would ever think to look for us."

Meanwhile, back at the police department Frankie was all out of sorts. He promised her he would keep her safe and protect her. He promised her that Hoyt would never get to her and if he did, he would kill him. 'I didn't. I didn't keep her safe. I didn't protect her.' Frankie thought frantically. 'But I will kill him.' he swore. 'That son of a bitch dared to lay his hands on my beautiful, sweet Maura. His filthy hands touched her soft, innocent skin...' Thinking about all these things brought up a new rage in Frankie. Clenching his fists, he punched the brick wall next to him will all his strength. "Frankie! Come on man!" Frost yelled out as Frankie cursed out loud as his knuckles bruised. "That's not going to help anything. I know you're upset, but we're gonna find them." Frost reassured him. "I promised her, Frost" Frankie said. "I promised her I'd keep her safe. I'd protect her. But I didn't. That asshole has my Maura... he has her." Frankie half sobbed in his hands. Frost was dumb stuck. He had never seen Frankie so distraught, so... broken. He sat down next to him and asked, "Was Dr. Isles... more than just a friend to you...?" uncertain of how to phrase the question. "I'm in love with her." he whispered. "I've loved her for a long time, but I just got the courage to ask her out... and she said yes... she said yes..." Frost could only imagine the pain Frankie was going through. "We're going to find them, Frankie." Frost promised. He just hoped he wasn't wrong. A beeping sound from Frost's computer interrupted them and Frost excused himself to see what it was. "What the heck...?" Frost wondered out loud. "What is it?" Frankie asked coming over to see. "It's a link up to some website... that's just weird because this is a secure network. Hold on, let's see what this is..." he said as he typed out a code to open the link. A live video feed popped up on the screen. At first it was blank, but then a light switched on and they were able to see Maura, tied and bound with duct tape and laying on a dirt floor all curled up in a tight ball. Frankie felt an overwhelming anger boiling up from inside him. Frost ran out and called the Jane, Korsak and the other agents in. They huddled around Frost's computer. "Dr. Isles, do you have any words to say to your friends at the police department? Anything you want to say to them." They could hear Hoyt talking to her, most likely from behind the camera. Maura looked up and tried to focus her eyes on the camera. Frankie looked in her eyes and saw everything that she was feeling even if she wouldn't say it aloud: she was in pain, she was hungry, she was terrified and she needed to feel safe again. She opened her mouth to speak but immediately had to clear her throat before speaking. "Please help me." she whispered. "Please save me... I... I'm... I'm scared..." she sobbed. Frankie clenched his fists as his heart squeezed painfully. "And I'm sore; I haven't been this sore since we ran in the Boston marathon. Remember that, Frankie and Jane? When we ran in the marathon..." she took a big breath and continued, "I love you, Frankie... more than anything and I wish we could've gone out on that date and watched the sunsets and held hands while we watched movies and danced... I love you so much." Frankie watched and listened with his heart breaking with every word. "We're going to find you, sweetheart." he whispered as he gently touched her face on the screen. Hoyt's voice filled the speakers, "We have to go for now. It's time for me to have my fun with Dr. Isles. But no worries, Frankie. I promised you I would be gentle." his manic laugh could be heard as the screen went blank.


	7. Chapter 7

Frankie was sitting outside on the steps of the police department staring at the sunset. He had never in his whole life felt so helpless and vulnerable. Maura, the woman of his dreams, his one love was in danger somewhere and in pain and needed him to protect her. And he couldn't. He didn't know where she was and he didn't know what Hoyt was doing to her at this moment. All he could think about was the pain in her eyes. Her big beautiful hazel eyes that were usually so full of life and curiosity, were now filled with hurt and pain. He never should have left her in his room. Hoyt was already in there, they had discovered. He had climbed in through the side window and waited in the closet. The guns they heard on the streets were a distraction to eliminate the police and security as well as a perfect opportunity to snatch Maura. Angry with himself, Frankie put his head in his hands and silently let his tears fall. He wouldn't cry in front of the other cops and agents, but by himself there was no one around to witness his silent tears.

Jane walked out of the police department with two cups of coffee. She sat down next to Frankie and rubbed his back. Looking up to see his big sister, put his head on her shoulder and took the coffee she offered. "Thanks." he mumbled. "No problem. Listen I wanted to ask you something. In the video, Maura mentioned the Boston Marathon to us. Remember?" she asked. "Yeah, I remember. Why? Is that important?" he asked clearly confused. "Well, I was thinking, it was kinda random. I mean, she made a point of stating the Boston Marathon and us directly. What if she was trying to tell us something...?" Jane said. Frankie thought for a moment and then said, "You guys solved a case that day. There was a shooter in the marathon and you guys worked the case there on site. You didn't run... so why did she say she was sore...?"

Jane thought back. "You're right... but we did run after the race and the case were over. We ran Heart Break Hill... and she was sore after that! She was talking specifically about Heart Break Hill! She has to be somewhere around there! Come on!" Jane jumped up and pulled Frankie inside with her. They burst into the office and briefed Frost and Korsak and Agent Dean on what they just discovered. Frost ran to his computer and quickly looked something up. After a minute he exclaimed, "I knew it!" "What is is?" Korsak asked. "Not many people know this but the city of Boston was built on a maze of tunnels. And look they run directly under Heart Break Hill!" "That's it! We know where they are! Dean, gather your SWAT teams. Frost, how do we get int the tunnels?" "The closest one to Heart Break Hill is here in the park. You have to go in through the gutters." "Come on guys! Let's go!" SWAT teams were already in their vans and ready to go. Korsak, Jane, Frankie, Frost, and Agent Dean and several other agents all piled into 3 cars and they raced to the park. They split up into 2 separate teams and together with the SWAT teams, they entered the tunnels. After about 10 minutes they came to a fork in the tunnel. "Which way Frost" Agent Dean asked. "I don't know..." he replied. Just then they heard a scream come from their right. Frankie, hearing Maura's scream ran at top speed down the tunnel with everyone on his heels. Together, they burst into the room to see Hoyt bending over Maura's limp body with a scalpel in his hands. Just as he turned around Frankie, Jane, Korsak, Frost, and Agent Dean all fired shots at him. Hoyt was dead before he hit the floor.

Frankie rushed to Maura and gathered her body in his arms. He pushed her hair from her face and buried his face in her neck, "Sweetheart, please wake up. Please... please don't leave me. I love you too." he whispered. "Come on, Maura! You have to open your eyes..." He heard a soft whimper and he looked up to see Maura slowly opening her eyes. "Frankie?" she whispered hoarsely. "Yes, it's me sweetheart. I've got you. You're safe now... I've got you..." Maura wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss full of passion and emotions. All their feelings and emotions were poured into this kiss. After several minutes, they heard a clapping of hands and cheers. They looked up to see Jane, Korsak, Frost, Agent Dean and the whole SWAT team cheering for them. Blushing, Frankie moved to pick up Maura in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, "Never let me go." "I won't" he whispered back as he kissed her sweet soft lips. As soon, as they all made it out of the tunnel Frankie set Maura down for a minute so he could take off his jacket to give it to her. An EMT approached Maura and attempted to pick her up to get her into the ambulance. Frankie turned and seeing the young man with his hands on his Maura, he let out a snarl like an angry dog and rushed over to her side. "Don't touch her!" he growled at him. "Whoa, sorry man! I was just trying to help her up to get her into the ambulance. I have to take her to the hospital." Frankie looked down at Maura and read her expression which begged him not to take her to the hospital. He squatted down and wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong honey?" he said softly as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Maura turned and tucked herself tighter into his warm, safe arms and whispered, "I don't want to go to the hospital. I hate hospitals. I just want to go home. Please...?" "It's OK, I'll take you home. You don't have to go to the hospital, but will you let me stay with you. I don't want you to be alone tonight." he said as he searched her eyes. Maura pressed a soft kiss to his neck and said, "of course! I don't want to be alone either." Frankie looked up at the EMT and said, "she's coming with me. She's not going to the hospital."

Frankie picked her up and placed her in one of the cars. He went over to Jane and everyone. "How's she doing?" Korsak asked. "She'll be alright. I'm taking her home and staying with her. She doesn't want to go to the hospital." "Ok, that's fine. Keep us informed though. Let us know if we can do anything." "And let us know if we can come visit her." Frost added. "Give her a big hug from me." Jane added. Frankie nodded to all of this. He turned to head back to Maura when he heard Korsak call out, "And congrats to both of you. We're happy for you two, but if you hurt Dr. Isles I'll personally kick your ass! I don't care if you're Jane's brother!" Frankie smiled and got into the warm car. Maura had fallen asleep in the passenger's seat. Leaning over he buckled her seat belt and softly brushed her hair away from her face. He let his finger linger over her soft creamy skin as he brushed his lips across hers so gently she didn't even stir. He sat for a moment just staring at his beautiful Maura as she slept. She was everything to him. He didn't even want to think about what could've happened if they hadn't gotten to her and Hoyt in time... Shaking his head, he started the engine and made his way to her apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

Frankie pulled up to Maura's apartment complex and stopped the car. Maura was still sleeping peacefully in the passenger's seat with Frankie's jacket pulled tightly around her. Frankie silently got her out and carried her up to her apartment. Maura slowly awoke to find herself in Frankie's strong arms being carried upstairs. "Frankie, are we there yet?" she asked. "Almost, honey. Do you have keys?" "No, they're in my purse at your house." "Ok, no worries, I can pick the lock..." he grinned. "Such a trouble maker..." she smiled back. They got into her apartment and Frankie set her down. "Do you want some tea?" he asked. "No, not really... I don't really know what I want..." Maura replied and looked around in a daze. "I just feel so... dirty. So gross and disgusting..." she said looking at the floor with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "I can still feel his hands grabbing at me and his foul breath in my face." she whispered. Frankie slowly pulled her against his chest and tilted her head to gaze into her eyes. "You are not disgusting or dirty." he whispered. "You are so beautiful and so sweet. And I am so desperately in love with you. I love you." he leaned down and ever so gently pressed his lips to hers. They held each other tightly and allowed the moment to consume them. After a while, she softly whispered, "I think I want to take a bath." she said. "Ok, come on." he gently pulled her towards the bathroom. He ran the water to warm and found some bubble bath and poured some in. "Frankie... can I ask you to do something for me...?" she asked shyly. "Of course what's up?" he answered. "I was wondering if... well... I don't want to feel dirty and gross. I want to feel loved and cherished again. And you make me feel very loved and cherished...I guess I was wondering if you..." she broke off, blushing furiously. "Will you please... make love to me...? I need to know that not all men are like Hoyt. Not all men will hurt me. I can still feel his hands on me and I want to replace that with hands that I trust and know won't hurt me..." she whispered. Frankie wrapped both arms around her body and kissed her. Maura brought her hands up to run her hands through his thick black hair. Frankie ran his hands up her arms to entwine his hands with hers. He pressed her body against the bathroom door as she slipped her hands up the front of his shirt. She pulled his shirt up over his head and pressed kisses to his chest. Frankie ran his hands down and cupped her ass tightly making her moan into his neck. He ran his fingers along the waistband of her pants before sliding his hands up to take her shirt off. Her black laced bra contrasted wonderfully with the pale skin of her chest and stomach. Frankie moaned as she pressed herself against him. He could feel her aroused perky nipples on his chest and reached around to unclasp her bra. It fell to the floor and Frankie's breath hitched as Maura's full breasts came into view. They were better than he had ever imagined. He cupped them both in his big hands and rubbed his thumbs over her nipples. She moaned into his mouth and reached down to cup his erection. Frankie's hips bucked into her hands. "Maura..." he groaned harshly. He slowly pulled her pants down and knelt down to help her step out of them. He looked up to find his head level with her forest green panties. He could smell her arousal as he traced the waistband of her panties with his tongue. Frankie hooked his fingers in the top of her panties and slowly pulled them down to her ankles. He stood and gazed in awe at the beautiful naked woman in front of him, She was perfect. Every curve, every inch of her sweet skin was perfection to his eyes. "Frankie." she whispered. "Please let's go to bed."

Frankie lifted her up into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked over to her bed. He gently laid her down and couldn't help but stare open-mouthed at the brunette beauty laying naked in front of him. He leaned over and captured her lips in his. Maura ran her hands down his back feeling his muscles quiver under her hands. She pushed his pants open and reached in to firmly grasp his cock. "Fuck!" Frankie cursed. "Sweetie, next time you do that, you've gotta warn me..." he murmured into her neck. Maura chuckled, "Maybe... if I feel like it..." she swiped her tongue along his jaw. "Little minx." Frankie growled. Maura lifted her hips and used her feet to pull his jeans and boxers off at once. "Do I even want to know how you leaned that little trick?" Frankie asked as he sucked on her collarbone. "Mmmm... probably not." she giggled. Frankie moved lower to take one nipple in his mouth and sucked firmly while he used his other hand to roll and squeeze her other nipple. Maura moaned loudly and arched her back pressing herself more firmly into his hands and mouth. Frankie suckled harder and brought his hand down to slip his finger through her soaked pussy. "Damn... you're so wet." he groaned as he brought his head up to kiss her passionately. "So wet and tight." he murmured as he pumped her tight pussy with three fingers. Maura's hips bucked into his hands as she writhed wildly under his body. Frankie brought his mouth down and touched the tip of his tongue to her throbbing clit. Maura cried out and pushed her hips closer to his mouth trying to get more of his mouth on her pussy. Frankie pulled her clit into his mouth and sucked hard. Maura screamed Frankie name as she came on his fingers and tongue. Frankie licked up every drop of her juice savoring the taste. He moved back up her body and kissed Maura sweetly. Maura sucked on his tongue and tilted her hips, "I need you." she whispered. "I need to feel you deep inside of me... please..." she moaned. Frankie kissed her softly and positioned his cock at her entrance. Maura opened her eyes and looked up at Frankie. She was overwhelmed by the tenderness and love she saw there. Frankie leaned over and kissed her sweetly, "I love you, Maura. I love you so much." he said as he pushed into her. Maura was about to respond but the feel of his hard thick cock pushing inside her took away every coherent thought she had left. He paused to allow her to adjust to his size. Maura rolled her hips into his to signal that she was ready for him. Frankie began to thrust his hips slowly into hers. Maura's legs wrapped around his hips pulling him deeper. Frankie began panting as her hips rose up to meet his for each thrust. "Faster..." she whimpered as she clung to his shoulders now slick with sweat. Frankie, more than willing to oblige, grabbed her hips and slammed his cock hard into her tight wet pussy. Maura and Frankie clung to each other as they moved together to bring the other to climax. The next few minutes were filled with moans and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh. Maura's back arched and she dug her heels into his ass as she began to reach her climax. She threw her head back and screamed loudly as she came all over his cock. Frankie groaned and pounded harder as he came shooting his cum into Maura.

He collapsed onto his elbows and rolled to the side so he wouldn't crush Maura. He pulled her into his arms and they laid there together each still breathing heavy as they came down from their climax. Maura laid her head on his chest over his heart. She could hear his heart beating wildly. Frankie tucked her closer to his heart and kissed the top of her head. Maura rolled so that she was on top of him. She gazed down at Frankie adoringly and kissed his lips softly. "I love you, Frankie." she said as she traced hearts on his chest. Frankie reached up and ran his fingers through her hair as he pulled her down to kiss her. "I love you too my sweet, beautiful Maura. I love you too."

**Ok, should I continue the story or should I finish it here?**


	9. Chapter 9

Frankie awoke to sunlight streaming through the open windows and birds chirping outside. He moved his head a fraction of an inch and caught the scent of raspberries and citrus... his gorgeous sweetheart, Maura Isles was laying there on his chest fast asleep. He turned over slowly and wrapped both of his strong arms around her petite body and pulled her into his chest. He watched her chest rise and fall calmly as she slept. Her skin glowed in the morning sunlight like an angel. 'My beautiful, sweet angel' Frankie thought to himself. He looked at her in silent awe; she was the most beautiful sight to him. He bent his head and kissed the tip of her nose lightly. Maura stirred in her sleep and instinctively nuzzled her way closer to Frankie. He gently ran his hands up and down her soft back, unable to stop himself from touching her bare skin.

"Mmmm... you're tickling me..." he heard Maura whisper softly as she squirmed in his arms. Frankie chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Good morning, beautiful. I thought you were sleeping." he replied. "I was until I felt you stroking my back, but no worries. It's probably the best way I've woken up in a long time." she said as she opened her eyes. Frankie smiled and captured her lips in a soft kiss. "I love you." he whispered. "I love you too." she said as she rolled them over and settled herself on his muscular chest. Her fingers played with the light dark hair there as Frankie held her body tightly with his strong hands. Maura could feel Frankie's strong heartbeat under her hands and she leaned over and kissed his chest right where his heart was. His eyes met hers and together they pulled each other into a passionate kiss.

Jane was going stir crazy back at the police department. "I wish they would call! I need to make sure Maura's alright." she vented to Frost. Korsak piped up from his desk, "Oh, I'm pretty sure your brother's making sure she's alright." he said with a smirk. Jane threw her pen at his head and said, "Gross, Korsak. I really don't want to think about my baby brother and my best friend like that." Frost laughed. "But in all seriousness, I meant what I said when I told Frankie if he hurts Dr. Isles, I'll kick his ass. You're ok with that, right Jane?" Korsak asked with a smile. "Oh don't worry. I'm all for it. I've already threatened him and my mom would kill him if he hurt Maura. She really likes her. I think Maura's the only girl my mom's ever approved of for Frankie. But for some reason, I think Maura and Frankie have something together." Frost nodded. "I agree. Did you notice the way he looks at her? And the ways he's very protective of her?" Korsak nodded, "I saw that too. Matt, the EMT said Frankie snarled at him when he went to pick up Dr. Isles to get her into the ambulance. He snarled! Needless to say, Matt's scared of Frankie now." Frost and Jane laughed as the doors to their office opened and Maura and Frankie walked in. Jane squealed and ran over to her friend, throwing her arms around her in a tight hug. "I'm so glad to see you safe and happy! You have no idea how worried I've been." She let go of Maura and looked into her eyes and saw all the happiness that shone there. "I told you Frankie was taking good care of her..." Korsak muttered under his breath. Jane, Maura, and Frankie all turned to glare at him and Frost who were snickering immaturely at their desks. They looked up to see the death glares their friends were throwing at them and they immediately wiped the smirks from their faces and got up to hug Maura. "It's good to see you, Doc" Frost said as he hugged Maura. Maura hugged him back and said warmly, "I'm so happy to see you guys!" She turned and hugged Korsak who whispered in her ear, "If Frankie breaks your heart, you tell me and he'll get his ass beat." Maura rolled her eyes and smiled at the older man who she thought of as a father, "Don't worry, he won't." she reassured him. Jane hugged Frankie and whispered to him, "Thank you for making her happier than I've ever seen her. She loves you." Frankie smiled and pulled Maura into his arms. "I love her too." Behind Jane, Korsak and Frost made belching noises and pretended to throw up. Frankie grabbed two pens from the desk and threw them at the two men. Maura laughed and hugged Frankie closer. The office doors opened and Agent Dean walked in. "Maura! How're feeling?" he said as he walked up to the group. "Never been better." she replied with a smile. "Good. Frankie take good care of her." Frost nudged Korsak and the two snickered. Jane smacked the back of their heads, "Guy! Seriously?" Agent Dean looked confused and asked, "did I say something wrong?" "No you didn't say anything wrong. Korsak and Frost are just incredibly immature sometimes." Agent Dean laughed and said, "hey Jane can I talk to you for alone for a second." "Sure." The two walked over to the corner of the room for some privacy. "Well, Maura and I are gonna head out. We have some errands to get done." Frankie said. "I'm sure you do..." Korsak winked. Maura flicked a rubber band at him, "Oh grow up Korsak!"

Thirty minutes later, Frankie and Maura were seated at a little out door cafe with some coffee and sharing a piece of Black Forest Cake. "So, I was thinking" Frankie began. "Now that this whole Hoyt thing is over, would you like to go out on a date with me?" he asked. Maura smiled and said, "I would love to!" Frankie grabbed her hand in his and kissed it gently. Maura scooted her chair closer to Frankie's and he put his arm around her shoulders. Looking up at him, Maura said with a laugh, "You know, now that I think about it, we kinda did this whole thing backwards. Aren't you supposed to date first before saying 'I love you' and spending the night with each other?" Frankie laughed and nuzzled her neck, "Traditionally, yes. That is how it works. But there are no 'tradition' Rizzoli's. We never do things by the book." Maura giggled and kissed him. "I am very glad for that. Traditional can be boring." Frankie rubbed her arm and said, "My thoughts exactly. So, where do you want to go on our date?" Maura thought for a moment and said with a smile. "Surprise me!"


	10. Chapter 10

Frankie fiddled nervously with his shirt as he pulled up to Maura's apartment building. 'Why am I so nervous?' he thought as he checked his reflection in the rear view mirror and flattened his hair once more. 'We've already kissed and held hands. Heck! We've even slept together and told each other 'I love you!' So why the hell am I so nervous?' This was the night. This was going to be they're first date and Frankie wanted everything to be perfect. He picked up the bouquet of flowers and stepped up to the building. He popped a breath mint in his mouth and chewed it up quickly before ringing the doorbell. He heard the buzzing noise and pulled the door open. He made it up the the 3rd level and knocked on her door.

Frankie's breath caught in his throat as he looked at Maura. She was wearing a navy blue shirt with white polka dots that hugged her curves in all the right ways and showed just a hint of cleavage and white pants that made Frankie want to reach out and grab her hips. Her hair was long and wavy around her shoulders and her make up was smokey making her look every bit like a gorgeous seductress. At a loss for words, Frankie thrust the flowers at her and managed to whisper, "These are for you." Maura smiled and graciously accepted her flowers. "Frankie! They're beautiful. Thank you... I've never gotten flowers before." she said softly as she buried her face in them. "You're welcome." he said as he cleared his throat. "Come on in, I just have to grab my purse and shoes." Maura said as she stepped aside to let him in. Frankie grinned and stepped in. Maura went to the kitchen to grab a vase for her flowers. As she arranged them, she noticed Frankie was oddly silent. "Are you alright...?" she asked hesitantly. Frankie looked over at her and said quickly, "Oh, yeah I'm alright... I'm just really nervous..." he said shyly. Maura let out the breath she was holding and said, Oh thank goodness. I thought it was something else." she said quietly. Frankie frowned and went over to her, pulling her into his arms and gently tilted her head up to meet his eyes. "What did you think it was?" he asked. Maura blushed and said quietly, "I'm sorry Frankie. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just used to men eager to end their dates with me as soon as they can. I guess I was just afraid you were having second thoughts and you didn't want to date me anymore..." she broke off noticing the hurt expression in his eyes. "Maura, sweetheart. You really think I'm like all those other men...?" he asked searching her eyes. "I promised you I would never leave you, and I am a man of my word. I love you and I absolutely want to go out with you. I'm just nervous because I want everything to be 100% perfect. I want our first real date to be wonderful for you and I want it to be the best date you've ever been on." he said gently as he kissed her sweetly. Maura wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "I'm so sorry Frankie. I know you're not like the men I've dated and I know you would never leave me. I'm just not used to men putting so much effort into dates with me. Please don't be mad..." "I could never be mad at you, honey" he said as he hugged her tighter. "And those other guys don't deserve you." he whispered in her ear.

The sound of scuffling made the two of the jump. Bass was crawling towards them. Frankie and Maura laughed as they knelt down to pat Bass. Bass scooted in between Maura and Frankie and deliberately stepped on Frankie feet. "I don't like he likes me being so close to you." Frankie laughed. Maura laughed and said, "Well, he'll have to get over himself. Bass, you're not the only guy in my life anymore." she said as she picked him up and walked over to the living room and set him down on the carpet. She grabbed her purse and slipped her shoes on. "Are you ready to go, my love?" Frankie said as he offered her his arm. Maura smiled and took his arm. "Yes, I am."

They made their way downstairs and outside. Frankie opened the passenger's side door and helped Maura in before heading to the driver's side. As they drove, Maura reached over and took Frankie's hand. "There's no need to be nervous. It's just me." she said reassuringly. "I know. I just hope you like it." Frankie replied as he squeezed her hand. They held each others hand the rest of the way until Frankie pulled off onto a dirt road. "Where are we?" Maura asked as she looked around puzzled. Frankie just smiled and got out of the car and rushed over to help Maura out of her side. He pulled her into his arms and whispered, "I can't tell you! It would ruin the surprise" He turned her around but held onto her so her back was pressed into his chest. He whispered lovingly into her ear, "Close your eyes." "But Frankie, I won't be able to see. What if I fall?" Maura argued. Frankie wrapped his arms tighter and said, "I'll be your eyes. I promise you won't fall." Together they started walking slowly so Maura wouldn't trip. Maura could feel dirt, leaves, and rocks under her feet and wanted to panic but the feel of Frankie's arms surrounding her made her feel safe and protected. 'He would never hurt me.' she thought to herself with a smile. She felt Frankie stop her and said, "Are you ready?" Maura's body shook with excitement. "Yes! Please can I open my eyes now?" She felt Frankie's chest vibrate behind her as he chuckled, "OK you can open your eyes." Maura took a deep breath and opened her eyes. There in front of her was a small pier facing the ocean and the beautiful sunset. The sky was a mixture of pinks and blues. On the pier was a small table neatly made with a single rose in the center and seating for two. Next to the table was a basket of ice and a bottle of champagne. There were two meals waiting for them with big silver coverings to keep them warm. The cloth napkins were folded fancily and candles sat gracefully on the ivory table cloth. A trail of red rose pedals led them to the table.

Maura turned towards Frankie and threw her arms around his neck. "I love it! I don't know how you could think I wouldn't like it. It's beautiful!" Frankie rubbed his nose against hers and smiled, "I'm so glad you like it. So, you're not mad that we're not in an actual restaurant?" he asked. "Are you kidding? It's better than any restaurant. It's so sweet and romantic. Nobody's ever done this for me..." she said as she pulled his head down to kiss his lips. Frankie pulled her chair out to help her sit down and offered her some champagne. She gladly accepted and watched as Frankie carefully poured her some and uncovered her plate. The aroma of Mediterranean style chicken and pasta filled the air around them as they began to eat. They laughed, talked, flirted, held hands and completely lost themselves in each other. When the candles were so short, they were almost non-existent Maura squeezed Frankie's hand and pulled him up with her. Frankie chuckled in her neck and tilted her head up to kiss him. Together the two collapsed in the soft grass and they laughed aloud as they rolled in the grass, clinging to each other. Maura pushed Frankie down on his back and cuddled up in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. She inhaled his masculine scent as she buried her face in his chest. Frankie kissed her sweetly and ran his fingers through her hair. Maura looked up at the sky and sighed softly as they gazed at the stars. Frankie rested the arm around her on her hip and used his other hand to move her hair from her face. He gazed adoringly into her warm hazel eyes and kissed her gently. Maura whispered, "Remember when you asked me out and you asked me to give us a chance?" Frankie smiled, "Of course I remember." "Well, I'm glad I gave us a chance. It was the most wonderful decision I ever made. And I'm so glad you gave me a chance. I love you, Frankie, more than you will ever know." "I love you too, Maura. I love you too... so much." Together they brought their lips together in a kiss full of passion, promises and hopes for their future.

**The End.**


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